Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) participated in a House Agriculture Committee hearing for the purposes of hearing testimony from United States Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack. Video of Rep. Moore's questioning can be seen below. From Moore's exchange with Secretary Vilsack on illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits: Rep. Moore: "If there are 41 million people currently receiving taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits, and the five million illegal immigrants who turn themselves in become eligible to receive these benefits, are you concerned at some point that we will have more people receiving benefits than the American taxpayer can afford? Secretary Vilsack: "No. Look, first of all, let's take a look at who is actually getting SNAP. Somewhere between 80 and 85 percent of the people receiving SNAP are in one of three categories: a person with a disability, a senior citizen on a fixed income, a social security check, or working moms and dads. Rep. Moore: "So, we're not tracking it, so we really don't know if the five million people that applied for asylum actually are eligible to receive benefits." Secretary Vilsack: "With due respect, Congressman, I think it's absurd to suggest that there are five million people who have applied for benefits." Rep. Moore: "Oh, I'm not suggesting, I am asking if you can give me a number. I was just curious -- if you don't know a number, how can it be absurd to ask the question?" | 